Whatcom County nonprofit steps in to permanently protect educational farm center
Cloud Mountain Farm Center, an educational farm center in Everson, will be transferred to Whatcom Land Trust in mid-December for temporary ownership and management, the nonprofit announced Friday.
The announcement comes after Sustainable Connections’ Board of Directors voted in May to officially divest from the farm center, citing an inability to diversify funding sources to support the farm.
Cloud Mountain merged with Sustainable Connections in 2019.
“Whatcom Land Trust is excited to permanently protect this farmland, which is so special to our agricultural community and local food systems. The Land Trust was founded in 1984 to protect agricultural land from development, and this remains an important part of our mission today. We look forward to input and support from community members in evaluating the long-term ownership needs for Cloud Mountain,” Whatcom Land Trust Executive Director Rachel Vasak said in the announcement.
The trust does not plan to operate Cloud Mountain as a farm or retail operation. But it does plan to support the Cloud Mountain Processing, Aggregation, Distribution and Storage (PADS) services to local partners until a “long-term owner” is found, according to the announcement.
“PADS serves small farm businesses and organizations with cooperative impact, and is valued by local farms, food banks, and other community clients,” the announcement states.
During the Trust’s temporary ownership, the nonprofit plans to permanently protect 19-acres of the farmland through a legal conservation easement, which will limit residential development and place habitat protections along the stream.
Whatcom Community Foundation, which has supported the farm center financially since 2011, will work with the Trust to find a new owner for the farmland after the easement is placed, according to the announcement.
“The Whatcom Land Trust’s deep commitment and care for this community makes them ideal stewards for Cloud Mountain,” Sustainable Connections Board President Bruce Tabb said in the announcement. “We couldn’t imagine a stronger, more aligned organization to carry Cloud Mountain into the future while honoring its past and community legacy.”
Cloud Mountain was founded in 1987. It has provided educational resources for fruit and nursery production, provided training to new and beginning farmers, and provided infrastructure to support local farms.
The public is invited to learn more at a Whatcom Land Trust community meeting at 5 p.m. Jan. 7 at Cloud Mountain. Community members can RSVP online at whatcomlandtrust.org/events.
